The invention relates generally to a medical device, and more particularly to a container for containing medicament delivery devices.
Exposure to certain substances, such as, for example, peanuts, shellfish, bee venom, certain drugs, toxins, and the like, can cause allergic reactions in some individuals. Such allergic reactions can, at times, lead to anaphylactic shock, which can cause a sharp drop in blood pressure, hives, and/or severe airway constriction. Accordingly, responding rapidly to mitigate the effects from such exposures can prevent injury and/or death. For example, in certain situations, an injection of epinephrine (i.e., adrenaline) can provide substantial and/or complete relief from the allergic reaction. In other situations, for example, an injection of an antidote to a toxin can greatly reduce and/or eliminate the harm potentially caused by the exposure. Because emergency medical facilities may not be available when an individual is suffering from an allergic reaction, some individuals carry a medicament delivery device, such as, for example, an auto-injector, to rapidly self-administer a medicament in response to an allergic reaction.
For a variety of reasons, however, some individuals who are susceptible to allergic reactions may not carry such a medicament delivery device. For example, some individuals may not be aware of their susceptibility to allergic reactions. Other individuals may be are aware of their susceptibility but may, at times, forget to carry a medicament delivery device and/or leave it in a location where it is impractical to use in an emergency. In some situations, the consequences of an individual leaving home without having a medicament delivery device can be compounded when, for example, the individual is going to an environment that poses a greater likelihood of exposure to the substances that can trigger an allergic reaction. For example, an individual who is allergic to peanuts may be at a much greater risk when eating at a restaurant than when eating at home.
Moreover, some known medicament delivery devices require several steps to deliver the medicament into the patient. For example, to actuate some known auto-injectors, the user must remove a protective cap, remove a locking device, place the auto-injector in a proper position against the body and then press a button to actuate the auto-injector. Failure to complete these operations properly can result in an incomplete injection and/or injection into an undesired location of the body. In certain instances, for example, users who have become confused in the operation of some known auto-injectors have inadvertently injected the medicament into their thumb by improperly positioning the auto-injector.
The likelihood of improper use of known medicament delivery devices can be compounded by the nature of the user and/or the circumstances under which such devices are used. For example, many users are not trained medical professionals and may have never been trained in the operation of such devices. Moreover, in certain situations, the user may not be the patient, and may therefore have no experience with the medicament delivery device. Similarly, because some known medicament delivery devices are configured to be used relatively infrequently in response to an allergic reaction or the like, even those users familiar with the device and/or who have been trained may not be well practiced at operating the device. Finally, such devices are often used during an emergency situation, during which even experienced and/or trained users may be subject to confusion, panic and/or the physiological effects of the condition requiring treatment.
Some known medicament delivery devices include printed instructions to inform the user of the steps required to properly deliver the medicament. Such printed instructions, however, can be inadequate for the class of users and/or the situations described above. Moreover, because some known medicament delivery devices, such as, for example, auto-injectors, pen injectors, inhalers or the like, can be compact, such printed instructions may be too small to read and comprehend during an emergency situation.
Thus, a need exists for a container for medicament delivery devices that can be located in environments in which some individuals may have a higher than normal risk of having an allergic reaction. Additionally, such containers should provide instructions for using the medicament delivery devices contained therein that can be easily understood by an untrained user in any type of situation.